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May al-Ibrashy

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Egyptian architectural engineer
May al-Ibrashy
Born1970
NationalityEgyptian
OccupationArchitectural Engineer
Board member ofFounder & Chair of Megawra-Built Environment Collective

May al-Ibrashy is an Egyptian architectural engineer, the co-founder and principal of Megawra and chair of Megawra-Built environment collective (BEC). Al-Ibrashy works on community engagement projects through heritage conservation, rehabilitation, preservation, and re-signification centered in Cairo's marginalized communities.

Education

Al-Ibrashy was born in Cairo in 1970. She obtained a degree in architectural engineering from Ain Shams University in Cairo. She continued her education to complete a master's in the history of Islamic Art, architecture, and archaeology from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) followed by a PhD in archaeology, also at SOAS. Her thesis, The Southern Cemetery of Cairo from the 14th century to the present: an urban history of a living cemetery, focused on themes which have subsequently formed the basis of her career.

Career

Al-Ibrashy began her career working as an architect and a professor prior to co-founding Megawra, an Egyptian non-governmental organization architectural practice in 2011. Alongside her work for Megawra, she continues to work as a lecturer in Architecture at the American University in Cairo and at Cairo University, as well as a Professor of Practice in Islamic Architecture at SOAS. In 2012, Megawra partnered with the Built Environment Collective (BEC), an engineering and design consultancy. The combined group, Megawra-BEC, works as an architectural firm and non-governmental organization with a focus on sustainable and socially-responsible heritage restoration across Cairo. In the same year, al-Ibrashy began the Athar Lina (Heritage is Ours!) initiative, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. al-Ibrashy's fieldwork engages with the communities in the Al-Khalifa district in Sayeda Zeinab, Al Hattaba district, and Al-Imam Al-Shafii district through participatory conservation initiatives, with the aim of encouraging the marginalized communities’ sense of ownership of their historic environments. A specific focus of al-Ibrashy's work is with children and young people in Cairo’s economically-deprived neighborhoods, and she has worked in the Northern Cemetery in Cairo. Al-Ibrashy has lectured widely, both in Egypt and abroad.

Publications

Books

  • Citizen Participation in Historic Cairo, The Ford Foundation (2020)
  • Conservation and Management Plan Al-Khalifa Street Area, ISBN 978-977-90-8236-3, The Ford Foundation (2020)
  • معايير التصميم في القاهرة التاريخية - Historic Cairo Intervention Toolkit, ISBN 978-977-90-8235-6 (2020)
  • خطة الحفاظ والإدارة - منطقة شارع الخليفة, The Ford Foundation (2020)

Papers

  • Closing Keynote Speech-May al-Ibrashy-Heritage as a driver for development: Athar Lina Initiative in Historic Cairo, AUC Knowledge Foundation (2020)
  • The cultural heritage of Egypt's cities (2021)
  • Heritage in the Street: Megawra | BEC’s Athar Lina Initiative in Historic Cairo, ISSN 2206-9658, City Space Architecture (2021)
  • Design with the Senses and for the Senses: An Alternative Teaching Model for Design Studio, International Journal of Architectural Research (2010)
  • The history of the Southern Cemetery of Cairo from the 14th century to the present : an urban study of a living cemetery (2005)

Editorial contribution

  • Funambulist Magazine, Cairo: Hope is the thing with feathers (2020)

Awards

  • 2022 Prince Claus Impact Award Recipient:
al-Ibrashy was the recipient of the 2022 Prince Claus Fund Impact Awards, along with María Medrano, Argentina; Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Cuba; Ailton Alves Lacerda Krenak, Brazil; Hassan Darsi, Morocco and Alain Gomis, Senegal.
  • 2023 ArchDaily Diversity in Architecture DIVIA Award:
al-Ibrashy was one of the five finalists for the 2023 ArchDaily Diversity in Architecture Award.

References

  1. ^ "May al-Ibrashy". The Funambulist Magazine. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. ^ "2022 Impact Awards Announcement". Prince Claus Fund. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  3. ^ Rashidi, Seif El (12 October 2021). "New Podcast: Heritage is Ours with May al-Ibrashy". The Barakat Trust. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. "The Southern Cemetery of Cairo from the 14th century to the present: an urban history of a living cemetery". WorldCat. 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ^ El Gibaly, Lara (March 7, 2017). "Megawra: Making sure heritage is a resource, not a burden: An architect, a historian and a storyteller walk into a shrine…". Madamasr. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  6. "Dr May al-Ibrasy". SOAS University of London. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  7. Akil, Carla (28 January 2022). "Dr May al-Ibrashy: Linking heritage to the community". Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  8. "Historian May Al-Ibrashy Wins Global Award for Heritage Conservation". SceneHome. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  9. "In Old Cairo, residents reconnect with their heritage". France 24. 19 February 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  10. Makary, Marina (23 November 2022). "Athar Lina: Promoting cultural heritage at al-Khalifa neighbourhood". Egyptian Streets. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  11. Keath, Lee (2020-08-08). "Highways over history". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. pp. E2. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  12. Al-Ibrashy, May (May 2023). "Heritage as a driver for development: Athar Lina Initiative in Historic Cairo". Research and Creativity Convention. The American University in Cairo. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  13. "Athar Lina Initiative: Heritage as a community resource". Architectural League of New York. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  14. "May al-Ibrashy and the Tahayyuz Alliance". Charlotte College of Arts and Architecture. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  15. "Citizen Participation in Historic Cairo". Atharlina.com. 2020.
  16. "Conservation and Management Plan Al-Khalifa Street Area". 2020.
  17. "Historic Cairo Intervention Toolkit". Atharlina.com. 2020.
  18. al-Ibrashy, May. “Heritage in the Street: Megawra | BEC’s Athar Lina Initiative in Historic Cairo.” The Journal of Public Space, no. Vol. 6 n. 1 (2021): 241–56. doi:10.32891/JPS.V6I1.1462.
  19. al-Ibrashy, May and Tammy Gaber. “Design with the senses and for the senses: An alternative teaching model for design studio” International Journal of Architectural Research: Archnet-IJAR 4 (2010): 359-375.
  20. Fakharany, Nour (9 March 2023). "Diversity in Architecture, DIVIA Award". ArchDaily. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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